Fluid pressure operated blow-out preventer



1931- J. 5. ABERCROMBIE FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed July 1, 1927 INVENTOR.

BY M @M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMES B- .LBERCBDKBIE, F HOUSTON, TEXAS PATENT OFFICE FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED BLOW-OUT PBEV'EN'TEB Application filed July 1, 1927. Serial 110. 202,890.

to hold the valves seated.

My device is adapted to be used upon an ordinary type of blowout preventer but is particularly constructed for use on the blowout preventer shown in the prior patent taken by me jointly with H. S. Cameron, Serial No. 1,569,247, granted January 12, 1926. This device is adapted to be secured at the upper end of a well casing and to close off the space about the drill stem in case gas pressure is encountered in drilling the well, and thus prevent the gas from blowing out.

It is an object of my invention to provide a rapidly operating means for throwing the valves in closed position immediately upon any showing that the gas is blowing from the well.

It is desired that the valves be formed and mounted so as to be operated by fluid under pressure tending to force the valves quickly into closed position from both sides of the drill stem.

It is also an object to provide a means for holding the valves in closed position after they have once been closed.

Referring to the drawings herewith Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a blowout preventer of the character described, having my operating means secured thereon.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the four-way valve by means of which the fluid pressure is governed. Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in both the views.

in the drawings I have shown my blowout preventer as secured to the upper end of the casing 1 extending downwardly into the well. Said preventer includes a housing with a vertical passage 2 therethrough to accommodate. the drill stem 3 which is employed in drilling the well. The upper end of the passage 2 may have therein a short guide nipple 4, the upper end of which is flared slightly to guide the tools into the passage through the housing. There are two oppositely extending cylinders 5 to receive the valve pistons 6.

The valve piston 6 are cylindrical in general outline having their forward faces .recessed to fit about the drill stem 3, and packing strips 7 are mounted at points on said pistons so as to make a close fit about the drill stem and with the cylinders 5 as will be seen from the drawings.

The outer ends of the cylinders 5 are closed by plugs 8 which are screwed within the housing and have a central opening 9 therethrough to receive the valve stem 10. A stuffing box 11 is formed in the outer face of the plug 8 to form a fluid tight engagement with the valve stem 10. v

The outer end of the valve stem is threaded to engage with a piston 12 which is adapted to work within a cylinder 13 threaded over the outer end of the plug 8 and extending outwardly from the housing a suflicient distance to allow the proper movement of the piston 12 in the operation of the valves. The said cylinder 13 is formed with two upper ports 14 and 15. The port 14 is an inlet port to allow the inlet of steam against the outer face of thepiston 12 and is threaded to receive the inlet pipe 16 connected through the four-way valve 17 with a pipe 18 leading to a source of supply of fluid under pressure such as steam or compressed air. The pipe 16 has a branching connection 19 thereon leading to the port 14 on the opposite side of the preventer serving to operate simultaneously both valves in an obvious manner.

The port 15 on each of the cylinders 13 is connected with an outlet pipe 20 leading by way of the valve 17 to an exhaust pipe 21. The construction of the four-way valve will 'be understood from Fig. 2. The valve casing has a central disc 22 therein, said disc having curved passages 23 and 24, so formed as to make connection with the pipes 16 and 18 and between the pipes 20 and 21. The disc 22 has a handle 25 thereon to rotate said valve into a position where the passage 23 in the valve disc will connect the pipes 16 and 21 and further connect the passage 24 with the pipes 18 and 20. This is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will thus be possible There 1s a central chamber 29 in the plug to space the walls thereof away from the threaded portion of the shaft and the outer end has therein a stufiing'box 30 through which the outer'unthreaded end 31 of the shaft may rotate.

The forward end of the shaft 28 has a head32 thereon and an anti-friction bearing 33'is mounted on the inner end of said head I theyalves 6 will ordinarily be in open posi-; tion 'spaced. a way'from the drillstem which isrotatable through the housing. If, how-' everjthe gasihegins to flow from the well insojas'to bear against the piston 12 when th 'valves' fiare in closed position.

- (In-the operation of this-device the structure will be assembled as is shown in Fig. 1 and f-jdicatingf a blowout, the, operator can im- .mediately adjust the valve 17 through the handle'to admit fluid pressure onthe outer l'sidesof, the pistons 12, thus moving theflfpistons quickly into closed position, as

ishowrfinfFig. 1. tightly closing the space be tween,ft-he drill stem and the housing so as to I preventthe escape of fluid. When the valves have been thus closed the screw shafts 28 may bar-moved, forwardly '-through the rotation thereof tobring the forward ends 33 against I the pistons 12 and thus exert further pressure on the pistons and to hold said pistons in closed ,position under pressure.

The fluid may then be allowed to exhaust from the cylinder"113 and the valves thus will remain closed.

' I If it is desiredto again open the valves the shafts 29 willbe screwed into retracted position and fluid pressure may he allowed to flow through the pine 20 on the opposite sides of the pistons and the valves may be opened. I

The advantages of this constructionlie in the fact that valves thus constituting the closing means about the drill stem mav be operated instantaneously to prevent a blowout when-anemergency arises. It is also ossible from this construction to close the valves entirelywit-h the use of screw shafts 28. but it is contemplated that the rapid closing of the valves is usually necessary and the apparatus here provided allows a closure of the valves with no delay, so-that no accident can occur in allowing the escape of the gas pressure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

Y 1 7A blowout preventer for wells, including in combination a well casing, a housing attached thereto and. having a passage therethru, adapted to admit a drill stem, complementary valve members adapted to close the opening in said housing by engaging the drill stem, pistons for operating said valve members, and a single control means for admission or emission of fluid to said pistons, whereby simultaneous operation of the valves is obtained, and auxiliary mechanical means for closin and retaining the pistons in closed position lndependentof the fluid-pressure, and acking material carried by said valve mem ers to form a seal about the drill stem and within said cylinder.

2. A blowout preventer for wells including a well casing, a housing thereon having an upright passage therethrough for a drill stem, complementary rams on each side of said housing shaped toengage about the drillstem, plston rods on said rams, means on said rams to form a seal with said drill stem .pistons on said piston rods, fluid pressure means to-mo'vet said pistons and said rams, stems 1n sald housmg' and threaded therein to be screwed against .sa1d pistons,

and anti-,frict'ionmeans on said stems to allow relative rotation of sald stems when en- -gaged with said pistons.

3. In a blowout preventer for' deep wells including a well casing, and a pairof opposed rams shaped to close the space in said casing.

about a drill stem, the combination of steam,

operated means to simultaneously move bothsaid rams to closed position, and additionali means manually operated to fix said rams in closed position clamped against said drill stem.

4. In a blowout preventer for deep wells .including a well casing, and a pair of opposed rams shaped to close the space in said casing about a drill stem, the combination of steam operated means to simultaneously move both said rams to closed position, and additional means manually operated to fix said rams in closed position. clamped against said drill stem, said means including a shaft threaded to be advanced against said steam operated means in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 24th day of June, A. D. 1927.

JAMES S. ABERGROMBIE. 

